The Warlord
by Hossfeathers
Summary: When Piper died fighting through the Gauntlet, something broke in Nate. Too much loss reaps hell on the soul.


Running across the battle scared field, laser rifle hot in his hands. He saw a crater and dove in it. As he falls a shot from a laser weapon deflects off his helmet. _Strange_ he thought _Always strange. No impact, no warning, just a flash light and the heat when it gets close. That searing heat._ As he hits the ground a hand rose and gently touched his left cheek, feeling the burn from a shot that came even closer.

He hunkered down in the crater, thankful for the cover even as his combat armor's rad counter started clicking at a constant rate. _What is Anna going to think?_ He flinched as debris from a nearby frag falls on him. _She didn't even want me to go. Said we should get married and go to school. Maybe she will find someone else when I get home and she sees me. Maybe I won't get home._

Suddenly a voice crackled in his ear. "God damn Nate, you manage to get lucky and dodge that frag?"

He smiled as he pressed a finger to his ear, triggering his mic. "I did. Now where is my fucking heavy artillery. I can't push any farther without heavy guns, hell even just one of those big bastards in power armor and pistol. On that note, Where The Fuck Is James!"

"Poor bastard took some kind of armor piercing through one of his eye holes. From the sound of it the round bounced around because it couldn't punch clear through. Thought the T-45 armor was better than that. And command said there are giving us 5 big boys as soon as they can get them withdrawn from combat in other sections."

"You radio command back and tell them they have over-fucking-committed here. The line will break and the reds will sweep like the tide if we don't get some support. 10…9 men can't hold back a fucking army, even spe…" suddenly he heard the whistle of a mini nuke hurled by a jerry rigged launcher and he bolted from the hole, charging straight from the enemy trench. "Yes sir, Major."

He ran, zigzagging, feeling like his lungs were on fire, more laser shots deflecting off in random directions as he returned in kind. Suddenly his weapon belched black smoke as the plastic parts caught fire from hours of nigh constant firing. Growling he tossed it from him and pulled his combat knife, pushing the last dozen yards like a mad man. As he hurled himself into the trench he felt the impact of conventional rounds tearing through his armor.

Snarling as he stood, he grabbed the closest man's arm and broke it while stabbing the man next to him. He kicked the man hard enough his chest caved. He stood there, blood dripping off his knife, facing a trench full of soldiers before and behind him. _I hope they find the note I left for Anna. I hope they tell her I died holding the line, not throwing my life away trying to take a point with too few men._ He threw himself at the men, knife flashing.

Blows rained down on him from all directions, some landing on his armor and bouncing off, some he blocked, some he missed. He felt one cut his nose to the bone, another traced his jaw line, another slashed down the whole of his face, blood gumming his left eye shut. He roared in pain as he charged, bloodmad. He heard, rather than felt, his knee snap as the red officer he was charging kicked it.

He dropped, glaring up into the muzzle of a gun. "Do it, you bastard!" He saw the man's trigger finger tighten and braced himself when a look of fear came over the red's face. Suddenly Jones dropped down beside the red and his knife flashed.

Jones smiled down at him. "Looks like I got here just in time." Jones hauled him to his feet. "Shit, you took a beating. Anna is going to kill me."

Nate snorted. "To hell with that, clear the God damn trench." Suddenly he felt the earth shake as a man wear a full set of battle scarred power armor dropped next to them, mini gun whirling.

"Firing Trench Left!"

A second drop followed on the other side. "Firing Trench Right!"

Nate nodded as he sagged to the ground. "Good job Jones. Take charge and clear our section of trench." Jones nodded and started bellowing orders.

Nate started coughing then spit, a dark glob of blood coming with it. _Shit, lung. Anna's going to kill me._ He coughed again and felt something shake while trying to fight of the darkness crowding the edge of his vision. _I bought them time. Time to cross and the safety to do it._

Just as he was losing the battle to stay conscience he heard the scream of an airstrike. He surged to his feet, roaring "AIRSTRIKE! BRACE LOW, RED SIDE!" He threw himself against the side of the trench, using his knife to hold himself up. All so he could watch the madness.

The red had flow the line of the trench as a last act. If they couldn't have it, no one could. He watched as bomb after bomb dropped, blowing his men and theirs to pieces. The last thing he saw was a power armor helm slam into his face.

He surged awake, expecting to be in a field hospital. Instead he was in a room with a soft bed. Windows, half covered, let the starlight shine through. Someone was sleeping next to him, Anna. Her dark brown hair covered her face and she lay so if he laid back down she would be snuggling him. He brushed her tangled hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheek. She stirred under his touch.

She looked up at him, eyes not wanting to open. "Na…Nate? What is it?"

He kissed her again. "Nothing, love. Just couldn't sleep."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You were there again, weren't you? That night, watching them."

"It's been 5 years and I still see their faces, all of them. Jones, that red who almost shot me. The look on his face when Jones dropped next to me."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing you could have done, honey."

"I know, but the dreams…" She grabbed him by the head and he stared into her blue eyes. Light blue around the outsides that darkened to a deep blue around the iris. Eyes that you could lose yourself in for years. So expressive, you could see them sparkle when she laughed and the lighting crack when she was mad.

Now they were filled with love. "Nate. They are dreams."

"But they could take me back. I'm still young enough."

She shook her head. "No they won't. You're missing a leg. And all sight in your left eye is gone."

He smiled at her, dark waves calming slightly. "You're happy for that, aren't you?"

She nodded. She never could hide her feelings from showing in her eyes. "I am, every day. They can't take you from me again. And Shaun will grow up with his father."

He kissed her. "Are you sure you're a lawyer and not a shrink? Because you always know what to say."

She smiled. "I'm sure. I just know you. Now get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow."

He gave her a mock salute. "Yes Ma'am."

She kissed him. "Go to sleep big soldier man."They lay back down and she snuggled close to him and he wrapped his arms around her, finally at peace.

And woke up again, giving a sour smile at his surroundings. Nuka World. He put on his leg and pushed up from his bed where Cait lay sprawled, stoned out of her mind. He smiled as he walked out. 6 months in this joyful hell had undone all the progress she had made in becoming clean.

MacCready nodded at him from over at the bar where he was talking with Hancock. Of all the drug addicts and drunks around him he gave no judgment to MacCready. The man had just lost his son.

Hancock, however, would most likely be the next to be removed despite all his knowledge. That sense of honor of his would have no place in the new world, his world.

He stood on the balcony, surveying the start of his empire. He spat down into the pond, where Preston floated back up. He was the cause of last night celebration. Nate smiled as he thought back.

Preston had come storming in. "You need to stop these thoughts of conquest! All men must be free to choose for themselves!"

Nate laughed, sprawled in his throne-like chair. "And who shall stop me, Minuteman? The Brotherhood is gone, the Railroad is gone, the Institute is gone. All that is left is the Minutemen. And I built them, so I know how to destroy them."

"What would Piper think? You know as well as I that she would fight these with every fiber of her being!"

The room seemed to grow cold and even Preston flinched. "How dare you mention that name to me."

Preston seemed to rally his courage and spat at him. "I'm glad she never saw the monster you truly are."

Nate surged out of his chair faster than a man missing half a leg had any right to. As Preston looked at the knife sticking out of his heart Nate walked him to the edge. "The Commonwealth will be mine. And now there is truly no one left to stop me. Pity, I wanted to see how much you had learned." And with that he shoved Preston off.

Nate looked down and spat again. "It will be mine, if I have to burn its skies with hellfire once again."

He turned and walked back to his room, leg clacking on the floor, and beat on it hard enough dust came off the walls. "WAKE UP YOU SLUT!"

"GO TA FECKIN HELL!"

He kicked the door open and grabbed her by the hair. "Ready. Our Forces. Now."

She looked up at him smiling, eyes unable to focus. "Now why don't we just hold off a bit. You cannae do any more damage."

He let her go and walked out. "You have 2 hours. Use MacCready if you are that stoned." He stopped when he got to the door. "And if I catch you using again for the next while, you will never use again."

A half day later he was standing outside the gates of the station in his T-60 power armor, watching The Pack stream out and into the Commonwealth. "6 months is a long time. But we shall do it right this time." He readied his min-gun and walked toward his home.

Author's Note: I was going to use that backstory for a full fledged Fallout fanfic. And I might still, but not have Nate be "evil". I don't know if I could really write a villain. But one of this style could be fun. But have no fear, Ragnthor is soon to make a appearance. As in I finally started working on the chapter. And there might be some work on the Dragon's Dogma Idea I got kicking around. Love the character, but the lack of talking means I would have to add talking, and I don't know how well that would go over. And If you follow me over on FictionPress, different name just to confuse y'all, The western and the scifi have been getting some work too.


End file.
